1. Technical Field
This invention relates to customized molded orthotic devices specifically designed for corrective therapeutic treatment of foot, knee, hip, pelvic and spinal dysfunctional ailments promoting proper biomechanical function in the foot, knee, hip, pelvis and spine.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art customized molded orthotic devices have been developed in conjunction with the use of orthotic labs to be used with shoes to provide a custom contoured low profile fixture to fit the planar surface of the foot. Initially, such devices were formed from metal and leather with later material advances currently using heat formed synthetic or molded synthetic resin material to custom fit for each patient. This system could only be produced by orthotic labs where all the shaping and construction of the custom molded orthotic plate took place. Such hard plastic fixtures use a custom mold taken from the patient's foot in combination with constructive contouring to supplement the needed therapeutic treatment and correction of such devices. Such custom orthotics are typically designed for use in the primary shoe of the patient and thus limits their use. Most practitioners make only impressions of a patient's foot, which then are shipped to an orthotic lab. Orthotic labs receive the impression and create casts of the foot with plaster which takes much time and energy to build and form. Other models are pre-molded and are fitted according to the size of foot. Pre-molded orthotics cannot give customized foot support which is mandatory for optimal biomechanical joint function.
A variety of prior art devices have been developed for such orthotics, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,427, Patent Publications 2002/018360A1 and 2004/0194348AN and PCT Patent Publications PCT/AU91/00185 and PCT/AU03/0034.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,427 a process is disclosed for making an orthotic footwear insert made of a resilient shock absorbing layer to be positioned in the heel receiving area of the shoe.
U.S. Patent Publication 2002/0183 60A1 discloses the use of a heating mat to manufacture a custom orthotic device by heating up a sheet of flexible heat deformable material then applying it to the shaped part of a patient's body.
U.S. Patent Publication 2004/0194348AN illustrates a heat malleable orthotic shoe insert in which a cuffed heel portion is combined with a deformable mid-foot portion having a medial longitudinal arch and a deformable upper bearing surface. This insert requires that a heated mid-foot portion be engaged and pushed down upon by the patient's foot to form the impression therein.
PCT patent application publication AU91/00185 defines an orthotic device for the foot which is preshaped by use of a template cast to fit the patient's foot.
PCT patent application publication AU03/0034 outlines an orthotic insert is formed by combining two portions of material of different densities placed in a mold under heat and pressure. Once formed and cooled, the compound insert is then reheated and placed in the shoe of the patient who then pushes down thereagainst conforming the insert to the patient's foot.